Grammar in coursebooks? : An examination of how three coursebooks for the subject of English in Swedish upper-secondary school take account of grammar

Abstract: In almost all teaching, in all of the school subjects, teachers use materials to help them conduct their work. But how do coursebooks that are designed for the subject of English in Sweden tackle the subject? This study aims to investigate how coursebooks for the subject of English at Swedish upper-secondary school take account of the subject area of grammar. To cover this aim two research questions were formulated, namely:    In what ways do coursebooks for the subject of English at upper-secondary school take account of grammar? In what ways do coursebooks for the subject of English take account of grammar in relation to what is said in the syllabus?    The method of this essay consists of a content analysis of three coursebooks used at upper-secondary school. To support the analysis, the concepts of deductive and inductive approach to grammar teaching were used to categorize the books. The results show that grammar is featured in connection with a text or a theme to various degrees in the books. One of the books has a clear deductive approach to grammar presentation. The other two have either a clear inductive approach or a mix of both of them. All of the books examined can be considered to adhere to what the syllabus says regarding grammar. Based on the results one can say that it is important for teachers to reflect on the material they use.